Build Your List Building System Around Your Goal

 

Build Your System Around Your Goal

When you're getting started with online marketing, it's easy to begin with the tools.

Which autoresponder should I use?

Which traffic exchange should I join?

Which page builder is best?

Which social platform should I use?

There's nothing wrong with asking those questions.

But there's a better question to ask first:

What am I trying to accomplish?

Start With the Goal

Suppose your goal is to build an email list.

Once you know that, the rest of the system becomes easier to understand.

You need something useful to offer.

You need a way for people to request it.

You need a way to collect their email address.

You need a way to follow up with them.

And you need a way to bring interested people to your offer.

Now you can choose your tools based on what they need to accomplish.

Give Every Tool a Job

Your autoresponder has a job.

Your capture page has a job.

Your lead magnet has a job.

Your traffic sources have a job.

If you can't explain what a tool is doing for your system, you may not need it.

This doesn't mean you should never experiment.

Experimenting is part of learning.

But don't let the tools become the business.

They're there to help you accomplish the goal.

Keep the Pieces Connected

A simple system might look something like this:

Traffic → Capture Page → Free Offer → Email Follow-Up

Each part has a purpose.

Someone sees your offer.

They visit your capture page.

They request your free resource.

They become a subscriber.

Then your emails continue the conversation.

You don't need twenty different steps to accomplish that.

Your System Can Grow

Starting simple doesn't mean you have to stay simple forever.

As your experience grows, you may discover something that needs improvement.

Maybe you need a better landing page.

Maybe you find a traffic source that works particularly well for you.

Maybe you want to create another lead magnet.

That's fine.

Add things because they solve a problem—not simply because someone says you need them.

Final Thoughts

Before adding another tool, stop and ask:

"What is my goal, and will this help me reach it?"

If it does, learn how to use it well.

If it doesn't, you may be better off spending your time somewhere else.

A successful system doesn't have to be complicated.

It just needs to have a purpose.

Build around your goal, keep the pieces connected, and let the system grow as you grow.

— Randy

The List Builder

P.S. I've put together the tools and resources I personally use on my My List Building Toolbox page. I try to keep things simple, but you may find something there that fits your own system.